Calgary

This is something out of the movies. You never really think it happens. But it does, and more often than we can imagine I suspect.

Bil and I were talking the other day whether you could put a price on human life after it was revealed that a $600,000 ransom was paid to free kidnapped reporter Amanda Lindhout.

This led to the discussion of ‘how much money is just too much’. If your family member was kidnapped is there a certain amount of money that would just be too much money to pay in ransom? And if so, does that mean that human life has an actual price?

It’s a scary concept that becomes even more frightening once you have a child of your own.

Would you pay a ransom? If you do, what does that say to the kidnappers. By doing so are you encouraging the possible kidnapping of other people? Or would you care? Would your only concern be for your family member? How much money is too much? Can you put a price on human life?